AROUND THE HEART IN 80 DAYS

Thirty Five

The quick 'date' session Jacqueline secretly hoped for came sooner than expected.

In this way.

The floors below and the floors above the fourth floor of Copper Rivet was bustling with Yuletide magic. Colleagues being spirited enough to let in the Christmas spirits with warm melodies and temporary decorations, and already wishing each other a wonderful holiday. Some already began to travel.
Meanwhile, on the fourth floor, Herman Schwartz made it clear to the Sales Department(Edrei, Callum and Garrett in a room), via his second secretary's phone, that the Colorado mathematics was going to be handled by the Sales Chief himself.

Edrei almost ran mad.

Garrett Fitcher, all pleased and smug, arms all folded and domineering, stood patiently as Herman relayed the message. Which, to him, was no big deal, but his Vice looked like he was holding a lot in that temple vein.

"...understand Edrei," Herman averted, even though Edrei Rideau had not uttered a single word throughout the call, Herman knew who would get bitter the most, "we are up to our necks and I'm looking for a merger with Camarillo's. We need Fitcher to oversee the final clearance of Colorado simply so we can move forward. You just handle other pending jobs. Check with those Venezuelan farmers and figure out why our machines are still running in their farms. Callum informed of the power bill in these two weeks that have gone by just this month. It might be a minor job in comparison but let's get those smaller accounts cleared up."

"Garrett, weren't you in charge of the Venezuelan accounts?" Callum, ever the middle-man, asked as-a-matter-of-factedly.

"You know I had been busy with the accounts of processes of almost seven states in the past months." His eyes boldly looked to the Vice. "You know it's things like these that make us pass down jobs to our assistants."

Edrei bit his inner cheek and just pushed back his glasses. "I stopped sending money into the Venezuela accounts two months back. I am not in charge of machinery. Hope you remember, Fitcher. But I will remind Frederick to pull our machines back and ask why and how they still run."

"Whatever. Just clear up our desks. I need fresher starts next year. Fitcher, handle all the Colorado accounts and clear that up to."

"Yes sir." Edrei knew Garrett was forcing himself to sound serious. The damned man was back. Pride resonating so hard around the office. No-one else could see it, just him. Sometimes not even Victor.

Nicole, Herman's second secretary, quietly lifted her phone off the table after her boss had hung up and disappeared, just like she always did when she had dropped his message.

"I'll tell Theo to bring in the books then," Callum calmly said and walked out, Edrei going before him.

Could anyone see the steam coming out of his ears, could anyone see him turn red amidst the merry wishes springing into the atmosphere?

"Calm down." Victor coyly slipped in to walk by his side, hand in pockets of his jacket. "If you get any angrier, you could melt this year's snow."

"Were you eavesdropping?"

"I heard Herman needed to speak to you three. You and Garrett in one room? I wasn't the only one who knew something would go down."

"I'm cool. You all should stop feeding on make-shift drama."

"Edrei, you're still frowning."

They were close to his door already, he pointed at a hella busy Deuce who had a phone in one ear, a scribbling pen in another. "Deuce, assemble and send the Colorado folder to Fitcher. Stat."

"Yes sir!"

"You must be very happy." Victor snickered.

"I'm cool," he spat. He walked round his table and plopped down in his chair, hand through hair.